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August 5th - MCA of The Beastie Boys was born Adam Andrew Nathaniel Yauch in Brooklyn, New York, on this day in 1964.

While still in high school MCA taught himself to play bass guitar and formed the punk-rock band The Beastie Boys along with Mike D, John Berry and Kate Schellenbach.

MCA was just 17 years old when The Beasties performed their first live gig.

They released an EP in 1982 called “Polly Wog Stew.”

In 1983, with the release of the rap single “Cooky Puss”, The Beasties were now primarily a hip-hop trio with the departure of Berry and Schellenbach and the addition of King Ad-Rock.

MCA would go on to release eight hit albums with The Beastie Boys, most notably their 1986 multi-platinum debut “Licensed To Ill”, 1989’s “Paul’s Boutique”, an album I consider one of the greatest in history, 1992’s “Check Your Head”, 1994’s “Ill Communication” and 1998’s “Hello Nasty.”

The Beastie Boys have been responsible for some of the biggest classic hit anthems in rap music like, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)”, “Brass Monkey”, “Intergalactic”, “Pass The Mic”, No Sleep Til Brooklyn”, “Hey Ladies”, “Sabotage” and “Paul Revere”, to name simply just a few.

In 2002, MCA founded Oscilloscope Laboratories which would include a recording studio and a film-making facility.

That same year MCA would produce the Bad Brains comeback album “Build A Nation.”

MCA also directed the 2008 basketball film “Gunnin’ For That #1 Spot.”

Under the alias Nathanial Hornblower, MCA has directed many music videos, including those of The Beastie Boys as well as their 2006 live concert film “Awesome! – I Shot That.”

The Beastie Boys would also appear in the films “Krush Groove” and “Tougher Than Leather.”

The Beastie Boys have won numerous industry awards including Grammy Awards and MTV Music Awards.

The latest album released by The Beastie Boys would be 2011’s “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two”, whose release had been pushed back two years when MCA sadly began his battle with cancer.

On April 14th, Yours Truly along with LL Cool J would have the privilege of inducting The Beastie Boys at the annual induction ceremony at The Rock And Roll Hall Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Sadly, The Beastie Boys would not be present to accept the honor, or perform, as MCA was admitted to New York-Presbyterian Hospital earlier in the same day as his condition worsened.

On May 14th, MCA would succumb to the disease that he gallantly tried hard to fight off.

Music fans around the world were saddened as they got the news of the passing of one of the most innovative artists in the hip-hop and punk genres.

MCA and The Beastie Boys are one of the most important figures in hip-hop history.